To Love a Stray Ch. 10

Hi to all readers. Thanks for all the comments left. Here is the next chapter. Enjoy

Mygypsy

******

*I lay stretched out in the shade my stomach full from the cow that Micah killed; I don't stir when someone walks by me on their way to their own section of shade. I have become accustomed to sharing kills that one or another of the toms has made but I still prefer venison to beef.

It has been three weeks now since Edwin left to work elsewhere and in that time the bonds I have formed with the other toms has strengthened steadily. I still don't change in the same room as them but I have become fairly used to them deciding to change in the room I am in, the main offenders being Micah and Steven. I still often share Chris's bed and we indulge in oral sex but so far I haven't been comfortable enough to let him go any further.

Jazzy walks over and plonks herself down beside me crowding me into the sun and I get to my feet to move into the shade. Donovan and Jazzy are regulars on our hunts now. After the second hunt Wade and Marissa have allowed them to come with us without their presence. I barely bother to open my eyes as Micah walks over to nose and sniff both Jazzy and me. I flick my tail as his whiskers brush my ear but refuse to do more in the heat of the day.

I wake as the day starts to cool and instead of returning to the kill and eating my fill again, I trot off into the trees without a backward glance. In the shadows I stop to check that Jazzy and Donovan aren't following me before I break into a lope. The water hole I head for is edged with green grass and I pause as I check carefully for any livestock before heading to the waters edge to lap thirstily. I stop and check no one has followed me before I change back to human form and walk into the water.

I strike out for the far bank and swim lazily for a while before I hear the first demanding call from Micah.

I head back to shore and change to cat form before heading back towards the kill site at a fast run. I burst from the trees at full speed and see most of the toms lined up defensively between the two youngest members of the clan and me. I turn and streak off around the perimeter of the clearing at a fast pace and I am delighted when Micah and Steven break formation to chase me. They have the inside run of the huge circle I make and soon both of them are fairly close. I break away and head for the trees weaving in and out of them as the two toms follow. I race across the small clear patch between trees and I can hear both toms still close. I do a sharp turn and they race past me as I speed back the way I have come. I track their progress by the noise of their chase and I am aware that they are taking a short cut across the clearing to try to head me off; I kick in with more speed and manage to keep ahead of them as our paths converge.

Slowly but surely Micah is making up ground beside me and when he comes level with me his shoulder presses against mine and I am turned in a circle until I slow down. He growls and lays back his ears as he approaches where I have stopped while Steven looks on. I extend my head and sniff his nose before screeching and streaking away once again. This time Micah and Steven realise it's a kind of game as they race after me. After another two times of allowing them to catch up to me, I finally slow and come to a stop. Both toms come over to sniff me thoroughly but I jump away when they spend too much time sniffing around my hindquarters.

I return to lay in the shade once again while the others eat but I have no desire to eat the now cool meat. I stretch out on my side and watch the others eating and when I become bored I drag myself along on my side before rolling and jumping up to kick leaves and twigs wildly. Both Micah and Steven stop eating to watch me and I move to where there are more leaves and twigs to kick those up as well. Both toms leave the kill and walk over to where I dragged myself along the ground to sniff at the mark with interest.

I trot past where Jazzy and Donovan are wrestling while Mitchell watches them and stop to scratch claw marks in the trunk of a large tree. I stop and listen as I hear the rustlings of a mouse and with one quick snap of the jaws it becomes a tasty mouthful. A slow lizard goes the same way and I glance out of the corner of my eye to check on the two toms following me. Steven comes up to sniff at my muzzle and I snort and slap the ground with my paw. He huffs at me and his tail starts to twitch as he senses another game. I slap his shoulder with a soft paw before darting in among the trees. I use the trees to hide behind as both Micah and Steven chase me.

I am poised on top of a fallen tree ready to pounce on which ever tom comes close first when I hear Jazzy screech with excitement and pain. I jerk my head around to look towards the others at the kill and I am shocked by what I see. Jazzy is lying on her stomach with her tail cocked to one side while a tom stands over her pumping enthusiastically. She screeches again and jumps away from him. I lay my ears back and growl with anger - how dare he hurt her! He looks my way and I recognise Mitchell. Jealousy hits with a surprise attack - how dare Jazzy consort with my brother!

I am off the tree and stalking towards Jazzy with my ears flattened against my head while I snarl furiously when a heavy body hits me in the shoulder and I go down in a flurry of leaves. I am pinned beneath Micah and he grabs hold of the skin just in front of my shoulder as I struggle to try to regain my feet. Another screech from Jazzy has me freezing and looking her way again to see Mitchell serving her once again. I scream my fury and thrash beneath Micah as he struggles to hold me down; I see his leg near my muzzle and close my jaws over his paw viciously.

Micah screams in fury and surprise and I manage to wriggle free, but Steven is blocking my path with laid back ears and a savage expression as he snarls at me. Somewhere deep inside me something bubbles to the surface of my reason telling me I must flee before I attack Jazzy for stealing my toms, even if her consort is my brother. I turn away with a scream of rage and race for the exit hatch to the pasture. I hear cats following me but I don't slow to look back as I race across rough ground.

The flap of the exit doesn't swing open easily for my weight but I dig my claws in and force it open to streak through and head for the thicker trees away from the direction of the compound. I can hear someone behind me but I have no wish for company as I trot between trees on a faint animal track. I follow it for some distance before coming to a stream that is little more than a trickle in a sandy bed. I scratch sand aside and wait patiently for the water to flow clear through the deepened area so I don't end up lapping murky water.

Steven and Chris come out of the undergrowth behind me but I lay back my ears and snarl a warning to be left alone before drinking my fill. I move away and wait for them to drink before I turn and trot deeper into the trees. A change in the wind brings the scent of deer to me and I stop as I rotate my ears listening for a clue to their where abouts. The faint sound of clicking teeth tells me I am close to them and I instantly drop into a crouch before slinking forward slowly.

I find the deer grazing on the lush grass in dappled shade where the ground is dark and hints at a hidden spring of water. There are two does with half grown fawns at foot and a large buck much too big for just me. Then I remember the two toms behind me and I begin my stalk. I place each foot carefully so that nothing crunches or snaps beneath my paws. I continue to move closer even when I am within striking range of the does and fawns. I press myself down against the ground as I settle each paw carefully then launch myself forward with the powerful thrust of my back legs.

My front paws hit the clear patch of dirt I aimed for and then my hind paws are landing on the outside of them before I leap forward again. My second leap lands me on the front shoulders of the buck. I sweep one paw at his face to catch his head and pull it around cleanly breaking his neck. I stand over my kill and snarl at the fleeing does and fawns before turning my attention to eating. I quickly rip into the body cavity and pull the liver free to eat the delicious treat while it is still hot.

Steven whines beside me and Chris sneaks closer behind Steven as I turn my head to look at them. I extend my nose to Steven welcoming them to my kill before turning back to my prize of the liver. We gorge ourselves on the deer before lying down near the carcass; even though there is only the three of us most of the deer is gone. I make no protest when Steven begins cleaning me and I lay still as he cleans my muzzle and ears before starting to groom my shoulders. Chris comes to lie beside me and I lay with my nose near his shoulder where I can smell him with each breath. Finally I relax totally and roll onto my back to sleep.

It is after dark when I waken and stand up to look around. Steven comes over from the kill where he has been eating and we rub our heads together. Chris trots over from a pile of dead leaves and I allow him to rub along my side affectionately. Steven nudges me and makes it clear he wants me to follow him. I trot along with him, and Chris comes up on my other side. I grow irritable as I realise we are headed back towards the compound and when we reach the tree line I stop and lay my ears back refusing to go any further. Steven tries to coax me forward but I snarl and start lashing my tail savagely.

Chris takes off for the buildings and I retreat back into the trees despite Steven trying to coax me to follow him. A few minutes later Micah and Sam jog over to the tree line, both in human form. Micah carries a pair of jeans for Steven while Sam has a top and my long cuts offs in his hand.

"Good, you guys are back," Micah says and turns his attention to me. "You're not in trouble Rosy. We just didn't realise Jazzy and Mitchell were so interested in each other."

I snort angrily, take my clothes in my mouth and move away out of sight so I can

change in privacy. I can hear Micah and Sam talking about converting part of the long sunroom into another bedroom and I straighten my clothes before walking out of the trees and glancing towards the building sullenly.

"How are you doing Rosy," Sam asks quietly.

"Fine," I snap angrily.

"Ready to go in," Micah asks.

"Do I really have a choice," I demand with a curl of my top lip.

"Jazzy is about to come into heat and that's affecting you. That's why you're feeling so out of sorts." Sam tells me. "Jazzy is at the house with Marissa so it's fine for you to come home."

I say nothing as I fall into step beside Sam; I can hear Micah and Steven behind me and frown with annoyance before breaking into a jog and heading for the quarters. When I go inside I head straight for my little room ignoring the other toms that are in the lounge room as they call out their greetings. I slam my door and throw myself across my bed. I hear footsteps come along the sunroom and then my door is opened. Micah stands in the doorway but I can't see his face because the light is behind him.

"Come on, you're coming out to the lounge room," Micah says and walks in to pull me off the bed. I really have no choice but to do as he said or be picked up and carried out to where the others are. I follow Micah out to the lounge room silently. All I want is to be alone and not have to see Mitchell and be reminded of the events of the afternoon. I sit in the middle of the lounge refusing to look left or right and I don't speak to anyone who speaks to me. Sam sits on one side of me and Micah sits on the other side while the rest sprawl around the room watching as two of them play some game of carnage on the x-box. Malcolm hands me a bottle of beer and I take it, thankful to have something to do with my hands.

"Rosy, how would you like to meet some more of our kind," Micah asks me. "There is a meeting of the Clan Alphas in four days. A number of us are going. You're more than welcome to go along as well."

"Who's going," I ask curiously.

"Wade will definitely be going. Sam, Mitchell, and if you want to go, Chris and Timny had better go along," Micah tells me.

I glance across where Mitchell is leaning against one of the lounge chairs looking very relaxed and happy. "Will there be many others there," I ask.

"There'll be at least eight of the fifteen Alphas. They'll have two or three high ranking warriors with them and usually there are three or four of the unmarried she-kitts there," Micah tells me.

"Sounds a bit like the local meat market to me," I say when I work out how many

toms there will be in comparison to she-kitts.

"Meat market," Steven queries sounding confused.

"It's a human term. The local meat market is the pubs or the club of a Friday and Saturday night when all the guys are out and the girls go looking to see what's on offer," I scoff in disgust.

Micah promptly chokes on the beer he's drinking and several of the other toms have huge grins on their faces. Apparently they can see the humour in my remark.

"I thought you said you didn't do the nightclub thing," Justin comments.

"I went to university Justin. I might have preferred not to go out clubbing, as we called it, but that doesn't mean I wasn't aware of what goes on. And there were times I ventured out," I say dryly.

"But you went to college parties," Mitchell tells me.

I take the beer Malcolm offers me as I put aside the empty bottle from my first beer and open the fresh one before continuing. "Parties at university or college whatever you want to call it are a lot different. You have your different groups, law, social sciences, performing arts and so on, and their parties get pretty wild," I say with a shrug and take a long drink of the cold bitter brew.

"What? Sex, drugs and rock and roll," Timny jokes.

"And not necessarily in that order. Drugs, hard core stuff, alcohol, anything to get a buzz on," I say and put down the empty beer bottle.

"Tell me you didn't try anything like that," Sam says disapprovingly.

"And chance changing and freaking everyone present out including myself? Not this little brown duck," I refute as Malcolm hands me another beer. "Where's the good stuff?"

Micah grins at me, "What do you mean nearly let me catch you? As I remember it I was face to face with you three times."

"I was running on the outside of the circle, remember. You pair cut across the inside and still didn't manage to catch me," I laugh softly.

"That's not the way I remember it," Micah says with a wide smile and I feel something tighten low in my stomach.

"You wish," I tell him with a saucy smile enjoying the tingle of fear his intense look gives me.

"Maybe I'm not the only one wishing," Micah drops his voice low and intimate as he leans towards me. I give a snort of laughter and cover my mouth with my hand as I giggle.

"You still want that bourbon," Micah asks as he leans close.

"Yeah why not," I say boldly as I lift my head to eye him. I feel very strange, not at all like myself as I watch Micah get up and head for the kitchen. He returns with a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. I watch as he pours my drink and one for himself. I take my glass and sip the potent liquor and give a sigh of satisfaction.

"Damn that's good," I sigh and stretch my legs out in front of me.

"Not stiffening up after all that running are you," Micah asks quietly.

I glance his way and drop my eyes from his intense gaze. I can almost feel the heat radiating off him and I glance at his hands where he holds his glass in his lap. I can't miss the evidence of his 'stiffening up after all that running', and I choke on my drink as I start laughing. I jump up from where I sit as bourbon spills down the front of my top and nearly fall over Mikkarl, who is in front of me. I look at the empty beer bottles in front of where I was sitting and shake my head.

"I know I did not drink that many beers," I deny even as I find I have trouble lifting the glass of bourbon to my mouth. "I never drink that many 'cause beer makes me drunk!"

"You don't say," Micah tells me with a grin.

"I do say," I tell him and frown. "Now don't you be like every other male I've come across when I've been drinking and think just cause I let ya give me a drink I'll let ya give me anything else."

I wobble as I point at his lap. "You guys always want to put those things in places they don't fit. Why can't you be like girls and know how to use your fingers and tongues? Heck a girlfriend knows how to satisfy another girl a heck of a lot better than some male," I tell him seriously and ruin the effect with a hiccup.

"And I suppose you'd know," Micah laughs at me.

"Of course I'd know! I lived with my girlfriend for six months," I say and hiccup again then frown. "Heck, I thought I wasn't gonna tell em I prefer girls," I mutter to myself in the silence.

"Tell me you did not just say what I think you said," Sam snaps a look of stunned disbelief on his face.

What the heck, it's out in the open now.

"What, that I lived with my girlfriend or the part about preferring girls," I demand, angry that I feel I have to defend my personal preferences. "After what toms have done to me you really think I want some tom sticking their thing in me? And human males are just as bad! All they want is to get their dicks taken care of! They figure if they buy a girl a drink she automatically owes them sex!" I look around the stunned faces.

What the hell have I done?

"You never seemed to mind what I've been doing to you," Chris says quietly.

"You're not hell bent on hurting me," I yell at him and suddenly tears start to stream down my face.

"Don't cry Rosy! We still love you," Mitchell says as I feel his arms around me.

"But I'm not the she-kitt you guys need! You want a she-kitt who will have babies and I can't even stand being touched that way," I sob inconsolably as I try to pull out of his embrace.

"Come on, sit back down. You can't throw something like this at us and run off," Mitchell tells me as he sits in my spot and drags me onto his lap.

"Don't tell us you're more interested in Jazzy than any of us," Malcolm says.

"Jazzy's like a little sister or niece or something," I mutter. "Besides I sleep with Chris fairly often don't I?"

"So you're just confused," Sam says firmly.

"Confusion was one thing I was not feeling when I lived with my girlfriend Lilly," I snap at Sam.

"Well how come you're not still with her," Sam asks.

"She liked to go out clubbing and bring home guys with us. It didn't really bother me until she tried to get me to join in with them," I say with a grimace as I take the bottle of beer Malcolm passes me. I look at it with a frown, "Where's my bourbon?"

"You drank it all," Micah tells me holding up an empty bottle. I frown as I concentrate on the bottle.

"That looks like a beer bottle," I tell him.

"You think I'm trying to trick you out of drinking my bourbon," Micah asks with a grin and I focus on his mouth as mine suddenly goes dry.

"What would his lips feel like on mine?" Was that kiss at Pete's really as good as I remember?

His smile widens and one corner of his mouth lifts higher than the other. I lick my lips nervously before turning my head away and look at Steven who'd given a snort of laughter.

"What's so funny," I ask him.

"Something you were thinking," his grin widens and several of the others laugh.